More than 20 county teenagers earned high marks Saturday at the Junior High School Solo & Ensemble event held at Kalkaska High School.

EARNING HIGH marks at the middle school Solo & Ensemble competition last weekend in Kalkaska Saturday were (from left, back): Elly Maleski, Lee Wichern, Jared Ornelas, Surbhi Punhani, Victoria Kelly, Katie Pershinske, Ashley Couturier, Kelly Conger, Addie Kramer and JR Duval; and Elizabeth Vana (front).

Representing Suttons Bay School with ratings of I were Mariah Parrent (flute solo), Madeline Hall and Chantal Knopka (woodwind duet), Julia Paige and Morgan Jarvis (woodwind duet), and the trumpet quartet of Charlotte Seeley, Hartwig, Hudson Parrent and Jordan Smith. Earning ratings of II were a percussion octet of James Wheelock, Bridgette Kulpa, Allison Graham, Morgan Jarvis, Sarah Hartwig, Brett Riley, Jessie Fox and Nick Kiessel; Knopka with a flute solo; Ryan Kratochvil and Wheelock with a percussion duet and Martin Stowe with a trombone solo.

Receiving favorable comments in performances that were not rated were Kayla Gauden and Keeley Forrester for their woodwind duet, and Forrester and Graham with a saxophone duet.

Leland School, which was led by director Jenny Fenton, had 11 junior high students participating on various instruments this year. Earning a rating of I (superior) for Leland were Kelly Conger on violin, Ashley Couturier on clarinet and Elly Maleski on French horn.

Katie Perschinske earned a rating of II (good) for her piano solo, as did JR Duvall and Lee Wichern on trumpet solos and Elizabeth Vana on French horn. Victoria Kelly and Surhhi Punhani earned a III on their bell duet.

The trio of Conger, Addie Kramer and Perschinske performed on violin, piano and oboe, while Vana and Maleski provided a French horn duet for comments rather than ratings.

Jared Ornelas was on board as intonation technician and stage crew; and pianist Julie Davis served as solo accompaniest.

Seventh grader Ian Hood, Glen Lake’s only student participating in the event, earned a rating of I on trumpet.